Reservoir Fight Hurts Plan

Questions May Stall Proposal For Water Sharing

September 24, 2009|By Andy Reid Staff Writer

Political fights and environmental worries over a push for another new reservoir could swamp a water-sharing plan for Broward and Palm Beach counties.

A coalition of Broward and Palm Beach County utilities for more than two years pushed for building an additional reservoir west of Royal Palm Beach that could capture stormwater and use it to boost drinking water supplies in the two counties.

Now talk of cooperation switches to dealing with the touchy topics of how to pay for the estimated $363 million price tag and how to divvy up the water among thirsty communities.

In addition, environmental advocates are raising concerns about how the reservoir plan could affect the water supply needed for Everglades restoration.

Palm Beach County commissioners Tuesday endorsed pressing on with a new million-dollar study to explore the feasibility of the reservoir project - but not if it commits them to sending water south to Broward.

Instead, Palm Beach County plans to pursue a deal in which Broward County utilities would help pay for the new reservoir and then get "offsets," or credit, from South Florida water managers that allow using more water from the Everglades to boost local supplies.

"It's the part about the water going down south to Broward County that is giving everybody heartburn," Palm Beach County Commissioner Karen Marcus said.

Project supporters maintain that the chance to boost water supplies is worth trying to overcome the political, environmental and financial hurdles. Both counties have formed water resource task forces, made up of elected officials and technical experts, to work out the logistics, said Fort Lauderdale Public Works Director Albert Carbon.

"The overall goal is a regional approach to water management and water supply," Carbon said. "I'm very optimistic."

Dimming that optimism is a rocky history for recent South Florida reservoir projects.

Just this month, the South Florida Water Management District agreed to pay $12 million to cancel the construction contract on an unfinished reservoir in southwestern Palm Beach County planned for Everglades restoration.

South Florida taxpayers already invested almost $280 million for the reservoir project, now put on pause as water managers pursue a half-million-dollar land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. reshaping Everglades restoration plans.

The new reservoir would capture stormwater that otherwise gets drained out to sea by the C-51 canal that stretches through West Palm Beach. That canal dumps an average of 270 million gallons of water a day out to sea; by comparison, utilities in Palm Beach County are permitted to provide 232 million gallons per day.